Spring device for beds



Nov. 3, 1931. B w. HARTMAN 1,830,107

SPRING DEVICE FOR BEDS Filed Dec. 23, 1930 FIE-l.

m M j m o g y ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES BENDIX W. HARTMAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA SPRING DEVICE FOR BEDS Application filed December 23, 1930. Serial No. 504,344.

This invention relates to improvements in wall beds and has particular reference to a spring mechanism therefor.

The principal object of this invention is to 6 provide spring means whereby the raising and lowering of the bed will be automatically counter-balanced thru the action of the springs, in counter distinction to that type of Wall bed wherein the springs only function during an interval of the travel of the bed.

A further object is to produce a device of this character which occupies a minimum amount of space and therefore one which may be easily incorporated in the ordinary wall bed.

A further object is to produce a device having a minimum number of parts and one which is therefore economical to manufacture.

A still further object is to produce a device which may be incorporated in the ordinary wall bed without materially altering its construction.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a cross-section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, and is a side elevation partly in cross-section of my invention and showing the necessary bed structure parts in broken lines, I

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of my invention, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view showing the manner in which the springs function.

Wall beds usually consist of a spring supporting frame which is pivoted to a suitable support so that it may be moved from a horizontal to a vertical position or vice versa, as occasion demands. This type of bed has become very popular for the reason that when not in use, it occupies a minimum amount of space and is not unsightly. These wall beds when made up with the customary mattress and bedding are often very heavy to lift and fixed points, it is evident that they are either therefore must be counter-balanced with weights or springs in order to assist in the raising and lowering operation. The result is, that as the springs are usually attached to under great tension or under practically no tension during the movement of the bed above its pivotal point, and as a consequence, the bed may start to either go up or come down easily, but during the last portion of the movement, the action may be very diflioult and sometimes dangerous due to the falling of the bed upon the person operating it. Applicant has therefore produced a spring mechanism wherein the springs are so arranged that during the movement of the bed a pivotal action takes place, which pivotal action tends to compensate for the increasing or decreasing weight of the bed as it moves from vertical to horizontal position and back. In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferreclembodiment of my invention, the numerals 5 and 6 designate a pair of cross bars between which forwardly extending braces 7 y are secured. These cross bars 5 and 6 have their extremities supported on an convenient part of the bed supporting rame. A similar cross bar 8 has secured thereto arms 9 which engage the braces 7 thus strengthening the free end of the braces 7 A rod 11 extends between the braces 7 and has attached thereto a plurality of springs 12, which springs have their opposite ends secured to a saddle 13. This saddle is equipped with arms 14: which arms are pivoted at 16 to links 17 which are in turn pivoted as at 18 to the brackets 19 carried by the cross bar 6. Rear springs 21 have their forwards connected to the saddle 13 and have their rear ends connected to the bed frame 22, the bed frame 23 being pivoted as at 24:. As a result of this construction, when the bed frame is in the vertical position of Fig. 1, the springs 12 and 21 will exert a pull upon the saddle 13 and as a consequence, this pull will move the pivotal point 16 of the saddle to the right of the pivot point 18 as shown in the drawings. As soon as the bed frame is moved upon its pivotal point 24, the

springs 21 will tend to move the saddle 13 1109 toward the left of the drawing and consequently the pivotal point 16 will move in the same direction and therefore, instead of exerting all of the resisting forces thru the effect of the springs 21, some of this force will be transmitted to the springs 21 and as the pivotal point 16 of the saddle changes, an automatic compensation will take place with a result that the bed will be counter-balanced at all times during its pivotal move- I ment, the action being so nicely performed that the bed may be stopped in any of its positions, from vertical to horizontal and will remain poised in this position.

It is therefore apparent, that a person may operate a bed equipped with my spring ar rangement in a manner which is not only safe, but also easy upon the operator.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In a spring mechanism for a folding bed, the combination of a support, a bed frame pivoted thereto, cross-bars carried by said support, braces carried by said cross bars, a rod extending between said braces, a plurality of springs secured to said rod, a pair of links pivoted to one of said cross-bars, a saddle pivoted to said links and having one margin thereof secured to said springs, the opposite margin of said saddle having a plurality of springs secured thereto, the opposite ends of said last mentioned springs being secured to said bed frame whereby movement of said bed frame about its pivotal connection will cause movement of the pivotal connection between said saddle and said link about the pivotal connection of said link and said crossbar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

BENDIX W. HARTMAN. 

